Tooth brush



May 18,1937 0. P. DUEY 2,080,605

TOOTH BRUSH Filed Sept. 27, 1934 Inven Tor: Harald Pair/4 erflufy Patented May 18, 1937 UNlTE STATE FATE ()FFIQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a tooth brush and particularly pertains to improvements in tooth brushes of the circular headed hand operated type .for which Letters Patent Number 1,901,230 were issued to me under date of March 14, 1933.

It has been found that a tooth brush of the above character will be rendered more effective in cleansing the teeth and massaging the gums, and that its production and operation will be facilitated, by embodying certain features of construction therein other than as set forth in the patent above referred to.

One of these added features resides in equipping the round head of the brush with a plurality of rows of spaced diverging tufts of bristles arranged around a central tuft with the bristles of gradually increasing length from the center and with the tufts of bristles in the outermost row of greater flexibility than those of the inner tufts whereby the outer tufts will offer less resistance to bending than the inner tufts and conversely the latter offer greater resistance to bending than the outer tufts whereby the action of the brush in coincidently cleansing the teeth and massaging the gums when being operated will be augmented.

Another feature resides in the provision of a tapered neck connecting the brush head and handle in such angular relation and close proximity to each other as to facilitate application of the brush and its manipulation in effecting cleansing of the teeth and massaging of the gums.

An object of the invention is toprovide a tooth brush embodying the features above recited in which the tufts of bristles are so mounted and anchored in the brush head as to obviate shedding of the bristles.

With the foregoing object in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the tooth brush as seen in side elevation:

Fig. 2 is a View of the brush as seen in elevation from the back thereof:

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the brush head as seen in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in cross section taken on the line i4 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 5 is a detail in section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 showing the manner of anchoring the bristles in the brush head.

Referring to the drawing more specifically, A indicates generally the brush head which is frusto-conical in contour with the large end thereof flat and is fitted at its large end with a series of tufts of bristles including a central tuft 6 surrounded by an annular row of tufts l which in turn are surrounded by an outer annular row of tufts 8.

In carrying out the invention the central tuft 6 extends outwardly from the enlarged end of the head A axially thereof with the outer bristles of the tuft diverging from the outer end face of the brush head. The tufts l are spaced apart and are also spaced from the central tuft B and are disposed at an inclination relative to the axis of the brush head such as to diverge slightly relative to the central tuft 6 and in like manner the tufts 8 of the outer row are inclined relative to the axis of the brush head A at a greater angle than that of the tufts 1 and are spaced from the latter and also spaced relatively to each other.

The outermost tufts of bristles 8 terminate on a common plane extending parallel with the flat outer end of the brush head A, while the outer end of the central tuft S terminates on a plane spaced inwardly from the plane of termination of the tufts 8, and accordingly the end of the tuft 6 is recessed relative to the ends of the tufts 8. The outer ends of the tufts l terminate on an inclined plane extending intermediate the planes of termination of the tufts E and 8. In other words the bristles forming the intermediate tufts 1 are graduated in increasing lengths from the sides of the tufts 1 adjacent the central tuft 6 to the sides thereof adjacent the outermost tufts 8, thus forming the brush with a concave outer face portion.

The central tuft 6 is formed of bristles which are stiffer than the bristles employed in forming the tufts 8 so as to offer greater resistance to bending than the latter, and conversely the outermost row of bristles are more flexible than the innermost tufts of bristles; it being advantageous to form the outermost tufts quite pliable so that they will bend when applied to the gums while the central tuft B and the intermediate tufts I are sufiiciently stiff that when applied to the teeth they will effect a scrubbing or scouring action thereon thus adapting the brush to perform the double function of cleansing the teeth and massaging the gums in one operation.

Each tuft of bristles is formed by bending a group of bristles intermediate the ends around a loop 9 of rust proof wire, as particularly shown in Fig. 5, which bent portion of the bristles together with the metallic loop are imbedded in the material in which the brush head A is formed and which material consists of a hardened composition which is molded around the bent ends of the bristle tufts as shown in Fig. 4.

The brush head A is carried on a handle B which handle is preferably substantially straight throughout the general length thereof as shown in Fig. l, but is tapered as it approaches its point of connection with the head A and terminates in a short curved neck which is connected at its outer end to the reduced end of the brush head as particularly shown in Fig. 4. The neck C is quite short and is formed on a curvature such as to dispose the axis of the frusto-conical head A and the central tuft of bristles 6 at an angle of 45 relative to the axis or longitudinal center line of the handle B as shown in Fig. 4 in which the line a-a indicates the axis of the brush head and the line b-b indicates the axis of the brush handle, and with the point of intersection of the axial lines aw and bb located within the neck C.

By this relative arrangement of the brush head and handle and by the short connection afforded thereby the brush may be readily applied and manipulated, to effect cleansing of the teeth and massaging of the gums.

In operation the brush is applied so that the central tufts of bristles 6 and 'I engage the teeth while the outermost tufts may contact the gums whereupon the brush is manipulated with a circular or circular like motion so as to bring the ends of the bristles of the central and intermediate tufts in and. out of the grooves between the teeth and at the same time cause the outer tuft of bristles to have a massaging effect on the s.

The brush constructed as herein set forth is subject to being readily cleansed and sterilized by reason of the bristle tufts being spaced apart and diverging relative to each other from their intersection with the brush head to their outer ends.

I claim:

In a tooth brush, a head having an annular outer end portion, a tuft of bristles protruding axially from the center of said circular end portion, a plurality of rows of spaced tufts of bristles protruding from the outer end of said head encircling said central tuft with the tufts in said rows diverging outwardly relative to said central tuft; the ends of the tufts in the outermost row terminating on a common plane and the end of the central tuft terminating on a plane spaced inwardly from the plane of termination of the outer row of tufts; the bristles forming the intermediate tufts terminating on an inclined plane extending intermediate the plane of termination of the central tuft and the outer row 01 tufts.

HAROLD PALMER DUE'Y. 

